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Huxley Would Approve — Grave New World - Part One
((Not on label) 0742832675598, 2016, CD)

Huxley Would Approve — Grave New World - Part Two
((Not on label) 0730706002670, 2021, CD)

by Jon Davis, Published 2021-06-20

Grave New World - Part One Cover artGrave New World - Part Two Cover art

Huxley Would Approve is an ambitious international project created by German Rainer Schneider (compositions, engineering, production, instruments, vocals) and Canadian Joe Bolieiro (lyrics, concepts and development, 3D modeling, images, sequences). Together they have conceived the epic Grave New World, released in two parts, the first of which came out in 2016. Long-time progressive rock fans will see the title and immediately think of the classic Strawbs album from 1972, but that thought needs to be set aside, as HWA’s music has very little in common with Strawbs. By far the most relevant reference would be Pink Floyd’s The Wall, or any Floyd from Dark Side of the Moon through The Wall. There are numerous superficial similarities: frequent use of sound effects and spoken samples; bluesy lead guitar parts; plaintive lead vocals with echoes; dramatic chord progressions; tracks that flow seamlessly from one to the next; and generally moderate tempos, with nothing too fast. If you check the band’s website to read about the concept behind the album, you will find three inspirations listed: the lyrics of “Wish You Were Here,” specifically the “two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl” verse, Aldous Huxley’s writing, and the ideas of Carl Jung. The story told through the music involves a man on an inner journey to find his true self with the aid of a woman. Bolieiro wrote all the lyrics and created the graphics; Schneider sings and plays all the instruments with a few exceptions (a synth or guitar solo here and there, drums on one track); Judith Mattes-Schneider sings backing on most tracks and takes the lead on several tracks for a change of voice. Schneider does a fine job playing “all instruments,” which includes bass, drums, electric and acoustic guitar, and a range of keyboards. As previously mentioned, his guitar solos have a strong flavor of David Gilmour, as do those of his guest Werner Melchior, who appears on both albums. The primary departures from Floydian style are the appearance of Judith Mattes-Schneider as the lead singer on several tracks, and some of the synthesizer solos, which are well outside the Richard Wright playbook. Whether this all adds up to a positive or a negative will vary highly from one listener to another. For myself, most of the music comes off quite favorably, more of a tribute to a classic band than mere imitation. It is an ambitious project that succeeds and is quite enjoyable.

Filed under: New releases, 2016 releases, 2021 releases

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